Red-tailed Hawk

Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis)

Out feeding the fish Friday evening and saw this Red-tailed Hawk. Actually, we heard it before we saw it. (The photos are not all that great but until I have an extra $10,000 to spare for longer telephoto lens this is probably as good as it's going to get!) Having seen it again here yesterday (where these photos were taken) I suspect it may have a nest on the side of the cliff.

Precisely because they are so common, and also highly trainable, the majority of hawks captured for falconry in the US are Red-tails. There is a famous Red-tailed Hawk named Pale Male living in New York City. He has his own wiki page and PBS documentary.

Red-tail Hawks have a very distinctive scream ("keee-yrr, keee-yrr, keee-yrr") and for that reason Hollywood uses it almost exclusively as the soundtrack for any bird of prey, no matter the species. If you see a Bald Eagle on the screen most likely you'll hear the familiar cry of the Red-tailed Hawk accompanying it.

(The distinguishing characteristic of a Red-tailed Hawk is its rusty red tail.)

Red-tailed Hawks are the second largest Hawk in the Buteo family of North America (the largest being the Ferruginous Hawk). Their plummage is extremely variable which makes them difficult to positively identify but Texas birders say any large hawk should be considered a Red-tail until proven otherwise.

Their nests are up to 6.5 ft high and 3 ft across and situated in the crowns of tall trees or a cliff edge -that way they have a view of the entire surrounding landscape. With some luck and the aid of binoculars maybe we will be able to spot this Red-tail's nest.